Photos of Alleged iPhone Logic Board Suggest New Battery, Antennas

You could be looking at the next-gen iPhone logic board. Image: WeiPhone

As the launch date for the next iPhone approaches, there’s no shortage of rumors and purported images of the highly anticipated device. The latest development comes from a WeiPhone forum user who posted photos of the alleged next-generation iPhone motherboard, revealing that the phone could sport new antennas, a higher-capacity battery, and more.

While photos like this should always be viewed with a generous helping of skepticism, the particular WeiPhone user who posted the shots has some credentials. As 9to5Mac was first to point out, the user posted accurate images of the iPhone 4S motherboard last year, a couple months prior to its launch. NoWhereElse.fr has also taken the time to compare the size of the motherboard to the iPhone’s supposed rear plate (leaked in a video in June), and it matches up quite nicely, suggesting the WeiPhone forum user’s latest posting is legit.

The logic board images specifically point to a different battery. The board’s battery connector has five pins, one more than in the iPhone 4S, which could mean that the next-generation iPhone features a more powerful battery. The image also reveals more antenna connections than in the iPhone 4S, lending support to rumors that the next iPhone will be Apple’s entry into the LTE smartphone market. The next iPhone will certainly need a higher-capacity battery if it’s to support the battery-draining LTE connection.

Another change suggested by the leaked board concerns the digitizer connector. It looks like the next-gen iPhone might feature some sort of new screen technology. The SIM card also appears smaller, which points to possible Nano-SIM format support instead of the micro-SIM card support in the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Unfortunately, the images did not show much in terms of Apple’s processor plans. There have, however, been several reports that the next iPhone will sport a faster processor, specifically getting the A5X chip that debuted in the new iPad or an entirely new chip that Apple is developing for the next-gen iPhone.

In order to see how everything fits together on the motherboard, the repair team of iFixYouri created a diagram of what parts — camera, headphone jack, LCD and digitizer, SIM card tray, and more — go where on the purported board. It looks pretty cozy in the diagram, lending at least a smidgeon more credence to the images.

Another point of debate in the iPhone rumor mill is the dock connector, which has been reported to be anywhere from 8 pins to 19 pins in pin count. According to AppleInsider sources, the new iPhone will actually have a 9-pin dock connector, with eight contact pins surrounded by a metal shell connector that will act as the ninth pin. What is consistent, however, is that the dock connector will be smaller than the current 30-pin version in all of Apple’s iOS devices.

Apple is expected to announce the next-generation iPhone on Sept. 12, and if the company follows the pattern of previous launch schedules, the device should be available to the public the week after.

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